Farid was born around 1480 during the reign of Sultan Bahlol Lodi (r: 1451-1489). His grandfather, Ibrahim Sur, and father, Hasan, migrated to India when Bahlol Lodi issued a farman for inviting the Afghan tribes to assist him against his rival, Sultan Mahmud Sharqi of Jaunpur.The Afghans who remained in the royal service were granted nobility status and jagirs to their satisfaction. Hasan ..read more

Salim Shah Suri was the youngest son and successor of Sher Shah Suri. If you missed Part 1 of his reign, you can find it Here. In Part 1, we discussed the rebellion of the Niazis. After the defeat of the Niazi brothers, they sought refuge in the hills of Kashmir. Their presence continued to pose a threat to Salim Shah. First Murder Attempt: Meanwhile at Mankot, an assassination plot was ..read more

In a previous post, we discussed Hyder Ali's second invasion of Malabar in 1773, with the narrative extending until the year 1776.Hyder Ali and the Dutch:Around the years 1774-75, Hyder Ali, who had determined to conquer Travancore, demanded the Dutch to allow a free passage to his army towards Travancore through the Dutch possessions of Chettuva and Cranganore.Moens, the Dutch Governor of Cochin ..read more

In a previous post, we discussed the conquest of Malabar by Nawab Hyder Ali Khan (r: 1761-82) in 1766.In December 1768, the Mysore army left Malabar after restoring the local chiefs on the condition of paying war indemnity. Hyder, being a strategic mastermind, retained control of Palakkad, which commanded the point of entry into Malabar. It was also agreed that Ali Raja would not be ..read more

Sultan Qaiqabad, who reigned over Delhi from 1286 to 1290, was the grandson of Balban. The young Sultan was addicted to wine and other sensual pleasures. Nizam-ud-din, the chief magistrate, seized control of the government affairs and practically ruled the kingdom.Eventually, Qaiqabad managed to free himself from Nizam-ud-din's influence on the advice of his father, Bughra Khan. However, when ..read more

In a previous post we have seen that how Khusru Khan's forces were defeated in the battle of Sarsuti. Ghazi Malik Tughlaq continued his march towards Delhi.When the defeated royal army returned to Delhi, Khusru Khan was visibly shaken and sought counsel from his loyal followers on the best course of action to take. Some proposed the idea of making peace with Tughlaq by surrendering all ..read more

In the previous post, we explored the downfall of the Khilji dynasty and the rise of Khusru Khan as the Sultan of Delhi. Amir Khusro's Tughlaq Nama and Isami's Futuh-us-Salatin are the main references used here.Upon learning about the overthrow of Ala-ud-din's dynasty, Ghazi Malik Tughlaq, the governor of Dipalpur, felt a burning desire for revenge against Khusru Khan. However, Amir Khusro ..read more

On April 18, 1316, Qutb-ud-din Mubarak Shah, the son of Ala-ud-din Khilji, ascended to the throne of Delhi. In a previous post, we learned about Qutb-ud-din's rise to power. Hasan Baradu:Hasan, a handsome young man, was originally a Hindu of the Baradu tribe. Amir Khusro described the Baradu tribe as known for their unwavering loyalty and courage, often serving as trusted bodyguards for kings.  ..read more

In the year 727 AH (AD 1326-27), Muhammad Bin Tughlaq (r: 1325-1350) made a significant strategic move by establishing Devagiri, located in the Deccan, as the new capital of his vast dominions. Historians such as Ziauddin Barani have noted that Devagiri held a central position in Muhammad's dominions, and hence he decided to transfer the capital to this location. However, modern analysis suggests ..read more

Malik Naib Kafur Hazar Dinari was a slave who was forcibly taken from a merchant in Cambay by Nusrat Khan, the wazir of Ala-ud-din Muhammad Shah Khilji, during the conquest of Gujarat in 1299. He was called Hazar Dinari (al-Alfi) because he was originally purchased for 1000 dinars.Ala-ud-din raised Kafur from dust to power. Kafur's striking beauty captivated the Sultan, and under his strategic ..read more